A contested case at the Muncie Unsafe Building Hearing Authority drew strong testimony from tenants and owners about a West Main Street property that requires significant foundation repairs. Tenants said the owner has long neglected the building and accused him of attempting an illegal eviction; the owner told the authority an eviction process is underway and that court timelines constrain immediate repairs.

Why it matters: Substantial foundation work may be unsafe to perform while tenants remain in the property; the board must balance tenant protections, legal eviction requirements and the urgency of structural repairs that affect habitability.

What was said

Tenants said the owner has owned the building for decades and has not addressed longstanding safety issues; tenant representative Daniel Fisher said the owner had "made nothing but excuses" about repairs and that retaliatory eviction efforts followed tenant complaints to staff. The owner (who reported that recent eviction hearings did not conclusively grant possession) said he is pursuing court remedies and that the required structural work — including digging around the foundation and tying into sewer/water lines — will likely require the property to be vacant.

Board direction and next steps

The authority asked the owner to provide a contractor’s report detailing the scope of foundation work and whether the property can be made safe for occupants during repairs. Given the scale of work discussed, the authority continued the case for 120 days with required inspections and directed the owner to coordinate tenant notices and court filings; staff will supply housing referral information for tenants who need alternative placement.

Closing note

The authority emphasized the owner must move quickly to arrange the required legal and construction steps and to provide the contractor report and inspection evidence at the next hearing; the board said it will revisit whether more immediate measures are necessary if documentation is not provided.